A return to Agave

My boy and I made an impromptu Friday evening appearance at Agave for dinner last week, and as we walked in we both thought "we used to come here all the time...I wonder why we haven't been here in so long?"

I'm guessing his thought process ended there. My brain, of course, tagged on "well, because we *used to* be dating and now we've been married for 3 years. meh."

Anyway, surprisingly little has changed at Agave since the last time we ate there which is probably 3 years ago. The space is really lovely -- they do Southwestern decor without making me feel like I'm in the gift shop at the Alamo. The service is top-notch. They were busy, but not busy enough to scoff at our no-reservation-having selves. Our waiter was enthusiastic about the food and made great recommendations. I even heard him telling a woman at a table near us when she asked his opinion of her two top picks to steer clear of a dish that I sampled a couple years ago and didn't really enjoy (the enchiladas--the smoked chicken just doesn't work for me). I appreciate that.

And, so the food. Their margaritas really are that good. We went for the traditional, and the boy added the optional $0.50 splash of Grand Marnier that the server offered. It was good both ways. Even their cheapest margaritas taste like well mixed cocktails -- no powdered limeade in these suckers, folks. And there is definitely tequila in there (another pet peeve of mine).

Their chips and salsa are among the best in the city -- the chips, a mixture of white and blue corn, are fried fresh, but not too greasy, and the salsa is fresh and well balanced with a little spice (they could kick it up a notch to suit me, but I understand that I do live in Georgia).

The boy had the burrito and stew, and I had the pork chop special -- both were good, and I felt that the blue cheese grits that came with my dish were exceptional. Apparently, they prepare these with different specials relatively frequently, so if you hear "blue cheese grits" come out of your server's mouth, order it. You won't be disappointed.

From prior visits, I can also recommend their fried chicken and the shrimp and grits dish.

I am a huge fan of Mexican food, but this isn't Mexican food. It is, however, good solid southwest-inspired American. Nothing terribly adventurous, but Agave will always be a really lovely dining experience.

Oh, and get on their e-mail list. They send out a monthly message that always has really great discounts -- usually $10 entrees any evening when you are seated between 5 and 6 and 20% off your entire bill Sunday through Thursday. Definitely worth it!

Swimming up stream

Upon request, I am sharing this light, healthy delicious recipe for Salmon pate. It tastes really luxurious, but it not bad for you at all!

Serve with crackers, bread, or assorted vegetables.

1 can salmon, bones and skin removed
OR a nice piece of fresh steamed and chilled (no bones/skin)

Ultimately either = 2 cups of flaked salmon
8oz reduced fat cream cheese or neuchatal
1 tb chopped onion
1 tb lemon juice
1 tsp prepared horseradish
1/4 tsp liquid smoke

Mix all of the ingrediants together and form a ball. Chill for at least an hour.

Serves 16.

Note: The boy and I ate off this for about a week. We had it with other bits for dinner one night. I had some for breakfast on toast one day and then some on toast for lunch. The boy had some for lunch as well. Then we shared the last of it with some friends who finished it up and asked for the recipe. It was very flexible even if you are not making it for a party...

Hi-YA Keen-Wa!

Okay, that was a lame title...what I am really excited about is Quinoa (Keen-wa). I have had it a few times in a green tea reduction at R. Thomas...I really loved it. And picked some up at the Dekalb farmers market, but never got around to cooking it. Well I finally did this week, and 100% of taste testers agree it is a wonderful addition to our diets and palates.

Though it looks like a grain and acts like a grain, it is actually not a grain. It is the botanical fruit from a plant in the goosefoot family. This stuff is lighter than rice and pasta, has huge amounts of protein, a lower sodium content and is higher in calcium, phosphorus, magnesium, potassium, iron, copper, manganese, and zinc than wheat, barley, or corn. Some call it vegetable caviar, to the Incas it was the food of choice...

The first recipe I made was really simple, basically:

Quinoa Risotto

1/2 onion chopped
2-3 clove garlic, minced
1 tb olive oil
1 cup Quinoa rinsed three times in fresh water
1 cup water
1 cup fat free half and half or soy milk
1 cube bouillon either veggie or chix
1 cup parmesan or veggie version

Saute first three for a couple minutes on med heat.
Add Quinoa and saute about 1 minute.
Add milk, water, boullion and bring to a light boil.
Cover, reduce heat to low and simmer for 20-30 minutes.
Remove lid. Fluff with fork and let sit for a minute to dry out a bit.
Gently toss with Parmesan.
Gently toss in mouth.

The other version I made yesterday was just boullion, h20 and quinoa and it was wtill awesome. No need for any butter, salt or anything.

My Heart Hurts

There is a Simpsons episode where Homer demands that Bart "butter his bacon", and Bart replies "But Dad, my heart hurts." This is how the boy and I felt last night when we had a most wonderful thing: the East Atlanta Gravity Pub's "The Mullligan".

We had been healthy all week and decided with whimsical glee to undo it all with a visit to the Gravity Pub. After several beers, a couple shots of jack and some video crack, we tucked into an all beef hot dog wrapped in cheddar cheese, wrapped in 1/4# ground beef, deep fried, laid gently on a hoagie roll and then topped with chili and cheese. Oh and we had some french fries and tater tots too.

Gawd it was so good. And my tummy doesn't hurt this morning, but we did decide to skip breakfast and wait till lunch still we are still full. The most suprising thing was our ability to play Dance Dance Revolution after consuming that beast till almost 1 am. Amazing the versatility of our bodies...Maybe the DDR reversed the damage of the beast, but I doubt it.